Truffles: '60 Minutes' Looks At The Most Expensive Food In The World (VIDEO)

Last night, "60 Minutes" aired a fascinating segment on the state and fate of truffles (the fungus, not the chocolate). It is widely known that these French and Italian delicacies are extremely expensive; perhaps it should come as no surprise that unscrupulous vendors have set up a dangerous black market for the funghi. Lesley Stahl reports on the covert truffle world, including instances in which people have been beaten with baseball bats and even killed, all in the name of truffles. "It's a world that's rotten to the core," explains truffle hunter Michel Tournayre.

There is a reason truffles are so expensive, though. There are "fewer of them, and of lesser quality, every year," explains Josh Ozersky. Beyond taste, truffles are often something of a status symbol, with extremely rich people willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a large one.

One of the biggest threats -- at least according to many in France and Italy -- is the importation of truffles from China. These truffles are harvested by rake, rather than by dogs. While Italy has made the importation of Chinese truffles illegal, France receives 28 tons of Chinese truffles a year. Truffle connoisseur and French chef, known simply as Bruno, explains that the Chinese truffle is worthless, due to its lack of perfume and taste. Chinese truffles are available in the U.S., often for drastically lower prices -- there is no law in America requiring a location distinction. As show in the clip below, one may think he is eating French truffles, when in fact the truffles are Chinese.

Watch the segment below and read the full transcript at CBS News.

Comments

[A-C Capitalist]

12:17 PM on 05/15/2012

If I'm not mistaken, the only issues [according to the video] with the "Chinese Truffles" were that they (1) are harvested before they are ripe and; (2) used rakes to harvest the truffles instead of dogs or pigs. If the two issues were corrected, what significant difference would there be between a "Chinese Truffle" and an "European Truffle?" Seems to me the European Truffle industry is just looking for an excuse to put barriers in place to protect their profits from low-cost truffle producing competitors like China. Just another example of using the government to plunder the masses for your own benefit (insulating oneself from market competition). To companies like Urbani, I say: "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen!"

[Gale911]

03:25 PM on 01/12/2012

OMG this is Hilarious! I am not sure if you guys know about Italian & French Gourmets but I have been behind it for a while! When that Bruno was saying "Truffle Mafia" he was right. The fur coated woman is the BOSS of that Truffle Mafia and she was playing the angel!In 2001 their family went to jail guess for what? For selling Chinese Truffles and Money Laundry! She's the one who's told the Chinese that instead of feeding pigs with truffles they should have fed all of us.Also they managed banks. So deceiving! How can a smile and some ignorance can make us all look little angels! Truffles are good but I always buy mine from real companies that have more than just "a fur coat" to show and actually give back to their communities in so many ways! BTW here's the article in the Italian Newspaper :

http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2001/marzo/26/Arrestati_fratelli_Urbani_del_tartufo_co_0_01032610850.shtml

[2crudedudes]

09:03 AM on 01/10/2012

"covert truffle world, including instances in which people have been beaten with baseball bats and even killed, all in the name of truffles."

"...often something of a status symbol, with extremely rich people willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a large one."

Gotta love those job creators.

[UmYeah]

08:55 AM on 01/10/2012

Ehhh! Truffles muffles...over rated. I've eaten it too many times, I guess just to see if I'll change my mind about this "oh so sublime delicacy", but I'm not sold. Am I eating wrong? Is there a way that I should be swishing and chewing that I'm missing the essence of this thing?

[ColoradoCool]

03:11 AM on 01/10/2012

The Chinese cheapen everything. Why should Chinese truffles be any different?

[Hopfarmer]

02:12 AM on 01/10/2012

My pig Jasper can sniff out truffles as good as any dog.

[Hlynn]

12:57 AM on 01/10/2012

How terrible! Anyone who would steal dogs is a lowlife! Such people would not treat the dogs well and it's so sad they were never found and rescued. We are reading "Owls in the Family" at school and one of my favorites parts of the book is when the child in the story is talking about all his pets, but when it comes to his dog he says something like, "But he isn't a pet, he's one of the family." I just love that! Anyone who has ever had a dog and loved that dog can understand that sentiment.

[LibertarianCentrist]

11:50 PM on 01/09/2012

I love black truffle.... One of my favorite foods in the world!

[invirginia]

10:24 PM on 01/09/2012

A truffle is a taste of heaven.

[themanname]

08:02 PM on 01/09/2012

I had a white truffle sauce recently. Obviously this makes me wonder where the truffles in that originated from.

[LibertarianCentrist]

11:50 PM on 01/09/2012

Alba Italy....

[BrooklynChef]

11:27 AM on 01/10/2012

Italy. China produces black

[Happy Clb]

07:54 PM on 01/09/2012

i wonder if they're different varietals or if it's a matter of soil and climate. truffles are highly distinctive in flavor and the french are the french.

[garystartswithg]

12:02 AM on 01/10/2012

There are a few dozen species, most aren't edible. In the Southeast they recently started marketing a truffle that grows with pecan trees, nobody thought of selling them previously.

[Tiggy]

12:23 AM on 01/10/2012

My grandparents used to use boron fertilizer on their Pecan trees and Pecans were never in short supply and the ground around them very fertile. In part due to shade. Of course even more nutrients as the trees shed their leaves for the winter! They lived in the Southeast.

[Woodsie]

06:06 PM on 01/09/2012

Ok, I'm a food Philistine, but WHY? How can something that has all the charmin' looks of a cow pattie be THAT good??

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

08:06 PM on 01/09/2012

I'd be the 1st not to judge a book by its cover, but yeah. They taste fine, but for me the cost is ridiculous. They just don't taste THAT good. Fungus, big whoop. Sillyfoodies.

[AnnoyedCanuck]

03:08 AM on 01/10/2012

Do potatoes or turnips look that much better?

[Woodsie]

06:46 AM on 01/10/2012

Than THOSE?? ehm...Yeah.

[Henry Avellaneda]

05:54 PM on 01/09/2012

Of course the French are going to say their stuff is better! When haven't they? 99.9 % of the world has never tasted or know what the truffles are...so on this era of major economic worries, political turmoil and unemployment, I don't see anyone in here concerned about something that looks like dog poop!

[AliciaMarieB]

09:04 PM on 01/09/2012

I think part of it is that when the truffles are pulled up by a rake they loose some of their flavor, but even with that idea in mind, French truffles don't seem worth the price difference.

[Tiggy]

12:29 AM on 01/10/2012

The Italians have a truffle too. Both regions are known for their great foods. Climate, soil and especially humidity (for breads) make a huge difference. Fungi have very different and distinct flavors. Same as fruit grown in different regions.
If you haven't tried authentic french food, don't knock it as it fantastic.

[TJJ1030]

05:34 PM on 01/09/2012

Looks like we need a "Truffle Czar" to combat this illegal trade.

[KiltsAreHot]

05:17 PM on 01/09/2012

At a casual glance, it looks like dog doo.